Noire Notes XIX
The Art Of Storytelling II
Author’s Note: This piece is a series of interconnected short stories, inspired by songs of the same name. The only thing real about these stories is the music.
I. The Dress
“‘Cause the dress looks nice on you still”
He could recognize that dress from anywhere, let alone the person wearing it: the way it flows loosely at the front but fits tightly at the back, a garment meant to garner attention.
Looking at her made him reminisce about how close they used to be and how he would help zip her up for events like this, sneaking a touch against her bare skin.
As she stood in the center of the ballroom in her green silk dress, he felt compelled to talk to her again, to recreate a moment previously lost to time.
He walks up to her, smiles and shyly asks for her hand as the DJ plays New Edition’s “I’m Still In Love With You”. She reciprocates in kind and their fingers intertwine as if they’ve never spent any time apart, the familiarity of this sensation resurfacing feelings that once laid dormant.
They slowly move closer together as the hem of her dress sashays over the hardwood floor, his eyes doing their best to not be distracted by her plunging neckline or the slit of her skirt. He thought to himself that if this were to be their last moment together then it would be worth it, a deeply desired reunion illuminated by a cluster of candlelight.
II. Folded
“Meet me at the door while it’s still open”
She hears a knock at the door and instantly knows who it is, regretting the impulsiveness of her invitation. She gathers a moment to compose herself and texts him that she’ll be there in a couple of minutes.
There they are: his clothes folded neatly in a cardboard box with his name on it, her excuse to reopen a chapter previously closed in her heart. Sure, they shared a moment a few weeks ago but does that make up for the years that they spent apart.
She sprays a few more scents from his favorite perfume and resolves to see it through. Maybe them meeting again was fate, maybe this time they can get it right.
She walks back to the front door, breathes again and opens it. The first thing she notices is the warmth in his eyes and the chuckle he barely contains at her still wearing his old T-Shirt.
III. Foldin’ Clothes
“A practice in being present”
He doesn’t know how she does it.
One minute she’s on the verge of tears watching Atonement and the next she’s fast asleep on the couch with her feet curled up in order to make herself more comfortable. He softly places some socks on them so that she doesn’t get cold and resumes doing the laundry.
Lauryn Hill was right, it could all be so simple. All he had to do was follow Sade’s advice and remember that love is stronger than pride. Now here he is, proud of taking that chance, of walking up to the love of his life, shimmering in that stunning green dress, and asking for her hand.
Anita Baker would call this emotion a “Sweet Love” but he believes that it’s something more sublime, something akin to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”: a love that is all-consuming, a love that spans from the sensual to the self-sacrificial. A love that can only be exhibited through the simplest things, like folding your significant other’s clothes or wrapping up the box containing her engagement ring.
Further Watching
[1] Atonement (2007)
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